“Reinhardt Flies to Face Faulkner”
#3 Reinhardt University Eagles vs. Faulkner University Eagles
Kickoff at (1:30 p.m.) CDT
By: Travis Holmes and Melvin Irvin
RU Last Week
The Eagles started off the season with a long road trip at Cincinnati Christian University and soared over the CCU Eagles 53-7. Reinhardt looks to remain undefeated as they travel to Faulkner this week to face the Eagles of Alabama. Faulkner University is coming off a tough loss to #21 ranked Georgetown College in overtime last week in their season opener.
The Reinhardt Eagles are ranked 3rd and look to remain a dominant force in the conference as they did last season. New head coach James Miller came into the program early January, and the win over Cincinnati shows the hard work that he and his staff have been putting in during the offseason. Last week our RU Eagles dominated the game rising to a 46-0 lead early in the third quarter and coasted for the rest of the day. In an interview after the game, coach James Miller stated “I thought our first string played extremely hard and the execution was good with both groups.” Reinhardt started the game by shutting out CCU 3 downs and out and from that point on the momentum was all Reinhardt’s. The Eagles first possession of the season started with an opening drive of 4 plays for 44 yards that resulted in a touchdown. Jace Jordan was the one to finish off the drive with a 26-yard touchdown run.
Lead rusher for RU, Qua Stocks, scored his first rushing touchdown of the season early in the game on a 32-yard run. Stocks touched the ball 3 times and rushed for a total of 79 yards, averaging (26.6-yard per carry). The Eagles capped off the game with 439 yards of total offense, with new starting Quarterback Dylan Wiggins completing 4-7 pass attempts for 54 yards and a touchdown. It seems as though this Reinhardt team is firing on all cylinders right now.
Faulkner University
Last week the Faulkner University Eagles took their first loss of the season against Georgetown at home. This week, the Eagles look to get back on track as Reinhardt will try to remain undefeated. Head coach for Faulkner Charlie Boren stated “This is a game we never should have let get away from us.” It was a difficult loss to swallow as Faulkner had two blocked kicks and then a missed field goal attempt in overtime. Boren said, “We made to many mistakes against a great team and you can’t do that.”
Notable stars for Faulkner include quarterback Clayton Nicholas, who had a strong week completing (27-35) passes for (274 yards) with 4 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing. On the ground, leading rusher Josh Gaines had a total of 38 yards on 8 touches. With a majority of their points coming from the air, Faulkner will look to capitalize this week from their receivers. Their go to receiver is #23 Reagan Amos, with 10 receptions in the game it certainly seems that he could be a threat this week for Reinhardt. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Kylan Cotton recorded 10 tackles while Deyon Hicks and Banton Price both getting 8 tackles a piece. Now these are just a few strong players on the defensive end of the ball, however, there were a number of players that had 5 or more tackles for Faulkner.
Eagles vs. Eagles
Reinhardt University will be playing Faulkner University this coming Saturday at 1:30 at Billy D. Hilyer Stadium. This match-up over time has shown us that Faulkner is a tough and competitive team. However, statistically speaking Reinhardt is the higher rank and the favorite in this week’s game. Reinhardt University’s offense showed us last week that they can dominate both in the air and on the ground. With strong players such as Dylan Wiggins (QB), Qua Stocks (RB), along with key receivers Ronnie Chambliss and Andy Whisenant. The key for Reinhardt this week is to maintain their fast and versatile offense. With 59 new recruits, the program’s success has spoken for itself. With many returners as well, the Eagles will be a force to reckoned with once again this season.
Prediction
The Reinhardt Eagles look to win 2 games in a row as they take on the Faulkner Eagles. We believe that the Eagles of Reinhardt will prove superior. Even though Faulkner lost its first game they will be looking to upset the 3rd ranked Reinhardt Eagles. But with the Reinhardt Eagles coming off an impressive defensive performance last week I believe All Conference players such as Javier Dwyer, Taylor Hawkins, and Tevin McCoy will put on another defensive show to ensure that Reinhardt is victorious in week 2 of their season. Faulkner is always a tough opponent and I’m sure the coaching staff for the Reinhardt Eagles will make sure their players are prepared for their showdown in Montgomery, Alabama on September 9, 2017. Are you ready to soar once more!
